The invention relates to an agricultural vehicle comprising a cab window having a changeable transparency.
Agricultural vehicles, e.g., tractors or self-propelled harvesting machines such as forage harvesters or combine harvesters, typically have an operator's cab for the operator of the vehicle. The operator's cab comprises one or more cab windows, which provide the operator a view to the outside and can protect the operator from environmental influences, e.g., rain. The operator's cabs should be capable of providing the operator with a view from the operator's cab that is as unobstructed as possible in order to increase the overview and, therefore, safety during operation of the agricultural vehicle. In order to permit a view from the operator's cab that is as unobstructed as possible, operator's cabs nowadays often have a generous canopy having large-surface-area cab windows.
A number of displays and controls, at least some of which are combined in a terminal having a screen, are arranged in modern agricultural vehicles. Direct glare and/or scattered light that is too intense can make it difficult for the operator to read and operate the terminal, which can adversely affect safety during operation of the agricultural vehicle. In addition, a cabin canopy having large-surface-area cab windows can result in increased heat generation in the operator's cab, which can adversely affect the operator's performance. High-performance ventilation and/or an air conditioner for the operator's cab may be required in order to avoid this.
DE 41 28 717 A1 discloses an anti-glare device, which is arranged on a window, in particular a motor vehicle window. The anti-glare device comprises strip-shaped anti-glare sections along the upper edge of the window, which can reversibly switch from being light-permeable to light-impermeable. The anti-glare sections are switched by a sensor arranged behind the window and the anti-glare sections. The disadvantage thereof is that an operator is shielded only from direct glare and the sections that have been switched to being light-impermeable can obstruct the operator's view.